Colorado Springs – The Colorado Springs Christian Lions convinced Sterling to drive three hours Thursday to settle a score.
Before the Lions were two- time defending Class 3A state champs, and before the Tigers were defending 4A state champs, the primary seniors on both sides had met as eighth-graders. Advantage: Lions.
The teams met again at a summer tournament as sophomores. Advantage: Tigers.
“We’ve been talking about it every year that we see each other,” Lions setter Lauren Rosenthal said. “We just haven’t had an actual game that counts since then, so this is everything.”
And the Lions were everything.
Back at full strength with Lisa Meeter and Amy Whitlow healthy, they were back to their dominating selves in an easier-than-expected 25-15, 25-18, 25-20 victory that meant more to both teams than most nonleague matches.
The anticipation was betrayed before the game by Lions coach Verlyn Rosenthal, who had visible jitters and admitted to driving to Sterling incognito recently to scout the Tigers.
Back in August, the Lions had hoped this game would be their chance to anoint themselves queens of the state. However, an injury-plagued showdown Sept. 16 with defending 5A state champions Grandview snapped the Lions’ 66-match winning streak.
Thursday’s win halted Sterling’s 47-match winning streak.
“This was almost our retribution for Grandview,” Lions senior Marisa Hornbaker said.
Top-ranked (3A) Colorado Springs Christian improved to 15-1 and top-ranked (4A) Sterling dipped to 16-1.
The Meeter and Lauren Rosenthal connection was unbreakable Thursday as the two All-Colorado seniors displayed the unconscious rhythm they first set in the seventh grade. Meeter had 17 kills and Rosenthal, bound for Florida State, had 28 assists and four kills.
Sterling was without outside hitter Candice Magnusson (thumb), but were admittedly out of excuses for such a flat display. The Tigers were sloppy serving and passing and left too many holes on the floor for the Lions.
“It will make us better,” Sterling coach Lisa Schumacher said.
